Recording of phone call by Oath Keepers to Lavoy Finicum, two days before his death, urging him and the Bundy brothers to make a “lateral, tactical move” to a constitutional sheriff’s county, to continue to spread the message of western land rights and organizing ranchers, under the protection of a strong sheriff, and warning him that all indicators pointed to the “the powers that be” being mere days away from shutting down their ability to spread that message, one way or another.

On Sunday, January 24, 2016 (just two days before his death) Lavoy Finicum was a guest on Jason Van Tatenhove’s radio show (The Patriot Report)along with Stewart Rhodes, Founder and President of Oath Keepers. On the show, they discussed how Lavoy and Ammon Bundy’s message of western ranchers resistance to federal tyranny had begun to “catch fire” and was spreading to other counties and other states, with an additional eight ranchers (including in Utah and New Mexico) stepping up to declare their “emancipation” and independence from the BLM and USFS. They also discussed the great advantages to taking stands in counties that had strong constitutional sheriffs willing to interpose and protect the ranchers. Here is that discussion:

After the show Stewart Rhodes, Idaho Oath Keeper Todd Engle (veteran of Bundy Ranch) and Jason Van Tatenhove called Lavoy on the phone and warned him that it was clear that the FBI and the state of Oregon had put in place all the personnel (approximately 400 officers) and equipment needed to shut the occupiers down, and that by our estimation that action was imminent (within two to three days, tops). We urged him to consider making a tactical lateral move to a county with a strong constitutional sheriff, so that they could continue to spread the “brushfire” of liberty in the minds of other ranchers.

Jason had set his Skype account to record the show, but we didn’t realize at the time that it was still recording when we made the phone call to LaVoy after the show. We just discovered this recording:

Some critical background – Todd Engle (an Idaho Oath Keepers leader and veteran of Bundy Ranch), along with an Oath Keeper with extensive military special operations experience (who prefers to remain anonymous), had traveled to Burns, OR, conducted an assessment of the federal/Oregon State Police strength and preparations, and then visited the refuge on Saturday, January 23, 2016 and sat down with Ammon Bundy and his bodyguard Brian Cavalier (“Booda”).

They warned Ammon and Booda that all the assets were in place for a federal cordon or raid, and that they estimated that within a few days (2-3) the FBI would make a move to shut them down, one way or another. They told Ammon that his tactical situation was FUBAR and the feds were not going to let Ammon and cohorts continue to come and go freely, or communicate freely, to spread their message. They strongly warned Ammon that he had reached the point of serious diminishing returns, and it was time to leave, while he still could.

They informed Ammon that, at a minimum, the FBI would put a cordon in place, block all ingress and egress (no more speaking events or meetings with other ranchers) and then kill all cell reception, internet, etc and prevent them from being able to communicate with anyone except the FBI negotiators. Therefore, they urged Ammon and his crew to leave and continue to spread their message from a better location. We were waiting to see some indicator that they had taken the advice to heart.

The next day, on Sunday, January 24, 2016, I was on Jason’s show with LaVoy, and LaVoy and I discussed how their message was spreading like wildfire throughout the West, and how the very best way to go when resisting federal oppression of ranchers is to have a strong constitutional sheriff to back up and protect the ranchers, with a united community serving as his posse. He agreed that this was ideal.

After the show, I asked Jason to call LaVoy, and I asked Todd to join us, so we could make sure LaVoy got the same information that Ammon had gotten the day before, and to encourage him to make a move to that strongest position possible – a county with a constitutional sheriff, with ranchers ready to stand, where they could continue to spread their message, educating and organizing ranchers, but now under the protection of a strong sheriff who would also protect the ranchers who were declaring independence from federal tyranny and lawlessness.

We discussed some strong Utah sheriffs as possibilities (not realizing they had already scheduled a meeting with Sheriff Glenn Palmer of Grant County, OR, apparently with a mind to spread the message and methods to Grant County, but not to actually relocate there). LaVoy told us he recognized the wisdom in what we were saying and that he would talk to Ammon and Ryan Bundy about it.

Unfortunately, they decided against following our advice, as was made clear in the video LaVoy made the next day, Jan 25, declaring that they were not leaving, and that the federal government was never getting those buildings back:

LaVoy also did an interview on Jan 25, just one day before he was killed, in which he discussed the increased federal presence and hardening of the feds’ posture:

As LaVoy himself noted, they were out in the middle of nowhere, and were focused on education, so why the rapidly escalating threat of force? Well, clearly the powers that be felt threatened by their message, with the two Oregon U.S. Senators later admitting that they considered the Bundy/Finicum message to be a “virus” that was spreading, and bragging that they had spoken directly with Valerie Jarrett (the “power behind the throne” in the White House and real decision maker/handler of Obama), and the FBI Director about the urgent need to shut that message down.

There was no physical threat to the community, and no real emergency, with Ammon and crew having traveled peaceably back and forth to multiple public events and meetings. But clearly there Was a POLITICAL emergency and the regime felt threatened by their ideals. And the Oregon Governor also stamped her feet and demanded immediate action to stop them (and remember, she commands the Oregon State Police). LaVoy’s blood is on their hands, for that is the reason for the “felony stop” and deadly barricade used to shut that “virus” of truth down.

SO, WHAT NOW?: A CONSTITUTIONAL SHERIFF STRONG POINT

I have read many people asking “what next?” and “how do we do this better?” I think this final conversation with LaVoy can help provide an answer.

The single most effective and realistic way to do this better (at least until a state legislature and governor truly stands up) is to find a constitutional sheriff who is serious about taking a stand, with local ranchers in his county who are also serious, and use that county as a true strong point base of operations to spread that “virus” of educating and organizing resistance among ranchers, to reclaim western lands stolen from the states by the federal government. And that is the best way to counter the obvious intent of the powers that be to suppress and chill the spirit of resistance by having made an example out of Ammon, LaVoy, Ryan Bundy, and the others.

As I reminded LaVoy on the call, every single time a sheriff has stood up in defense of ranchers, farmers, etc, the feds have blinked and backed down. They have NEVER tried to run over such a sheriff, because the “optics” of doing so would be terrible for the regime. A duly elected sheriff, standing up for people’s rights, under his authority and duty pursuant to his oath, and backed up by all the patriots in his county, serving as his posse, provides us with a very strong position in terms of legitimacy, moral high ground, local support, unity of effort, and competent local leadership that can be sustained for the long haul, precisely because it is locally led. And all in defense of local ranchers who simply want to live and work in freedom, as they have for generations. In other words, far stronger than even Bundy Ranch, where the local sheriff was hostile and most support came from outside the area.

That is the kind of sustainable support and shelter Ammon/LaVoy’s “brushfires in the minds of men” needs. If you want to be sure that LaVoy did not die in vain, that is the way to do it. Yes, when a rancher is in trouble and asks for help, you may have no choice but to ride to his rescue even under less than ideal conditions. But if you have the luxury of choosing your ground, why not choose a county with a strong constitutional sheriff, rather than where the sheriff is hostile?

And now, more than ever, that needs to be done ASAP so the patriot movement out west has a strong point to carry on Ammon and LaVoy’s work – a strong “focus of effort” -and take some of the heat off of lone ranchers. Give Big Brother something to really worry about out West.

Who will be our Western “Walking Tall” Sheriff? That is the immediate question that needs to be answered.

Stewart Rhodes

NOTE FROM TODD ENGLE:

As I reflect on the events of the last month, I cannot help but feel dismayed at the lack of intelligence by some in this movement.

By all accounts, it’s the majority opinion that this operation, the occupation of the refuge, was an ill conceived, poorly planned boondoggle, which the final outcome has proven.

The parties involved were emotionally attached to this single, yet very important issue and that was their driving force; emotion and passion.

They sought no input or guidance from any of the leaders in the liberty movement and did not consider how it would affect the movement as a whole. Thus, they chose this battle for us and wrote checks their ass couldn’t cash.

We, especially in the west, empathize fully with the plight of the ranchers and farmers and are doing everything we can to curb the oppression that they’re under and restore their property rights in a manner that will not get us thrown into prison or worse, killed. Any and all actions that we take must be fully analyzed prior to implementation so as to guarantee a likelihood of success. In this case, they did not adhere to those principals.

As we begin to digest the killing of LaVoy, we must dissect what they did right and what they did wrong and never, and I repeat never dig in our heels in emotion and stubbornness when messengers have been sent to warn you of an imminent threat.

I pray for the family of LaVoy and am saddened at their loss but I would like everyone who’s extremely upset and out for blood to understand that once we enter the two way range, there’s no going back, so choose your actions wisely.

Todd Engel

Note from Jason Van Tatenhove;

There is a lot of people that take silence after a major event like we saw with the killing of LaVoy Finicum as a lack of action. Many times this notion is very far from the truth of the matter. This last week I and other members of the Oath Keepers have been quiet on the killing. This is not because of a lack of action. As these audio files will demonstrate we were actually very busy working behind the scenes trying diligently to help move LaVoy and the other members of the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom to a more strategically strong location to continue their free exercise of their right to speech, to peaceably assemble and petition of their government for a redress of grievances. Please note that this call was placed after my radio show and I still had the record function of my skype system left on.

Earlier in the week Oregon’s US senator Ron Wyden said the standoff was “a situation where the virus was spreading,” and action needed to be taken. What I truly believe that they were afraid of was not the occupiers who had occupied a facility that was in the middle of nowhere and not even being used in the middle of winter. What they were scared of was the fact that LaVoy’s message of emancipation from the BLM was beginning to spread like wildfire. The meeting they were traveling to at the time of the stop had over 400 community members that wanted to hear their message of unplugging from the current BLM system. They could not allow this wildfire of ideas and knowledge to continue spreading and I believe they took very affective steps to stop it. We must not let these ideas be stopped! we must pick up the torch that was dropped and continue to light the wildfires of liberty, freedom and knowledge.

Many of us in the Patriot / Liberty Movement are now asking ourselves where do we go from here. I earnestly and wholeheartedly believe that one of the best answers we have to this question lies in those counties in Utah that were discussed on my radio show two weeks back. Those counties where we have other patriot ranchers that have agreed to stand up and sign LaVoy’s Emancipation Proclamation committing to unplugging from the BLM system while they have a County Sheriff willing to stand behind them giving them the security and support so direly need.

For more information about The Patriot Report with Jason Van Tatenhove please visit the website: www.ThePatriot.Report

Help us defend the Constitutionagainst ALL enemies, foreign and domestic!

Donate here to support our mission and sustain our volunteers. Or join Oath Keepers here. You do NOT have to be prior service to join! All patriots are welcome. We are all in this together.

We need your support and your help. God bless.

And please "like" us on social media, so we can better keep you informed:

Stewart is the founder and National President of Oath Keepers. He served as a U.S. Army paratrooper until disabled in a rough terrain parachuting accident during a night jump. He is a former firearms instructor, former member of Rep. Ron Paul’s DC staff, and served as a volunteer firefighter in Montana. Stewart previously wrote the monthly Enemy at the Gates column for S.W.A.T. Magazine. Stewart graduated from Yale Law School in 2004, where his paper “Solving the Puzzle of Enemy Combatant Status” won Yale’s Miller prize for best paper on the Bill of Rights. He assisted teaching U.S. military history at Yale, was a Yale Research Scholar, and is writing a book on the dangers of applying the laws of war to the American people.

60 comments

God bless you guys for all you do.I know the amount of stress on you men must be huge, but know that God is on your side.. The recordings were spot on, you fellas couldn’t have expressed any stronger the danger theses people were in. Thank you Lord for the blessings of the voice recordings that these soldiers for you and the American people were able to discover. Our God is an Awesome God!
Bless all the Oath Keepers and their families. .
Your Sister in Christ,
Shannon

reading this article and beginning to listen to it made me think of the song COWARD OF THE COUNTY… to me the COWARD OF THE COUNTY especially for us Oathkeepers is the sheriff whose yellow streak is apparent in his face … our sheriff recently got booted from his position thankfully and I hope the next sheriff we will be voting for is the man I spoke with who will gather the militia and train us to back him to protect our county from the criminal element in our govt. My heart goes out to our Patriots and the loved ones of those arrested and Lavoy.

Our people have been encouraging them to leave. As I understand, the FBI has said that any without outstanding warrants can leave. One has an outstanding warrant from another State. The remaining three won’t leave unless he can go free and unmolested.

We tried, before the FBI locked the place down fully, but these last four just would not budge, and then just yesterday we asked the FBI again if we could make one last attempt to go in and escort the “final four” out, and the FBI said no, they would not let anyone in to do that, because they are concerned for the safety of anyone attempting it, based on prior statements by those on the refuge. No, David Frye has put out a video saying that is nonsense, that they would not fire upon anyone coming in to escort them out. But, the fact remains that the FBI will not let us try it.

And, the window of opportunity for those final four to leave without charges (other than the pre-existing Wisconsin warrant for Sean Anderson) has apparently closed. It looks like all of them are now facing charges. They waited too long.

You should know that we did successfully get the children off the refuge by working with the FBI and with WA State Representative Matt Shea, and his “man on the ground” at the refuge. And when the kids left, along with all but one of the women (Sean Anderson’s wife), a bunch of men left too, including Blaine Cooper.

So, we have tried many times, through back channels, and so has PPN, to get all of them to leave, and these four are the last hold-outs. And note that Ammon Bundy himself told them to leave, to go home, and let him carry on the fight in the courts. But they won’t even listen to him.

It doesn’t help at all that his own father, Cliven Bundy, is telling them to stay, and also proclaiming that HE is now in charge, and that “the people” will not give the refuge up to the feds. How he expects to obtain that goal is beyond me.

I am willing to do whatever can be done, but it looks like the window has closed on us being able to go there and try to talk them out, in person. The FBI just won’t let us in there anymore.

The remaining four stated they missed the deadline because noone knew they were there and they had no capability to find out about the deadline ne until it had passed. The fbi (intentionally lowercase) told others they were free to leave and were detained, searched, and handcuffed anyway. This, naturally, resulted in the word quickly being spread that the fbi were not being truthful and their word was as worthless as the promise of the us government to the American Induans, who marched off to land that was promised them and later taken away. It is apparent that the federal government doesn’t have a good track record of being trustworthy, even when there promises are in writing. It is truly shameful, and I am embarrassed and saddened that our government has become so tyrannical.
Blessings,
Ralph Farmer, oathkeeper

MR Rhodes, You do a Great job, but I believe that Cliven Bundy called for the Sheriff of Harney County to Provide for the safety of the four Protesters at the Refuge.

Cliven Bundy was calling for all of the FBI to leave and for Sheriff David Ward to take control of the situation and to help the 4 Patriots to surrender safely, He was just trying to make the point that the FBI was not even supposed to be there in the Capacity as Law Enforcement .

Of course the News Media twisted his words and made it sound like what you just wrote about the situation .

An important distinction to make in media relations work, going forward, is the distinction between Federal Laws (as in…. passed by Congress) and in Agency-invented bureaucratic “rules.”

The public is wary about folk violating Federal Laws. Giving the public a better understanding of the power of *bureaucracies* to invent their own pseudo-laws at whim, invent penalties and line the “pockets” of the agency is a more powerful message.

The Constitutional issue about who owns the land is one thing.

Successfully communicating the capricious whimsy with which the BLM and the EPA, in particular, invent Rules (which have the force of law) with exorbitant fines — at whim — and if not acquiesced to…. one is dragged into federal court.

I am particularly familiar with the EPA’s Final RRP Rule which permits SWAT teams to comb the country imposing fines of, mostly, between $10K and $150K for not handing out a lead paint brochure to a homeowner before starting work, or paying the EPA its requisite fee….. paperwork mistakes. I suspect many small contractors have been destroyed by the EPA and, mostly, it is “under the radar” harassment.

I suspect that is what the BLM has been doing to ranchers for some time.

And, also, surely some freelance NYTimes reporter would like to sink his teeth into the Hillary Clinton and Uranium One connection.
…Lady in Red

All good points but do you really think any NY Times people are gonna dance on Hillary ? Perhaps after she is indicted ? The underlying issue is that these government agencies and the entire government is completely out of control and simply make it all up as they go along to achieve whatever result they desire. They have many ways and means to destroy or coerce anybody they choose with a myriad of methods. Nearly all of which are in fact quite illegal and simply forced on the populace because big brother says so. The other major component is the simple fact that the majority of citizens are so incredibly dumbed down that they cannot or do not THINK ? So gaining support is very complicated from people who are already brain washed and believe in the many illusions provide for them for decades. So we have a complex set of dynamics to work with. Educating the masses is the most important thing any of us can do at present to have any long term affect on the current paradigm.

Now that all the facts are in and digested, it is clear these men were deliberately targeted to get rid of them as leaders of this misguided event. That was predictable and I agree with Oath Keepers rationale from the very beginning. But this was no WACO, so realize some progress has been made in the populace at large and the existing government apparatus as a control mechanism.

We must all still consider that the current systems (governments and economies) of the entire world are in fact breaking down from their own weight, incompetence, greed corruption and lust for ever more power. So we will have no shortage of major events to confront us going forward. It is critical that we all have our wits about us and realize that our health, fitness, training and well being are of the utmost importance going forward.Your clarity of mind and purpose is critical and that can only happen with a healthy and fit body. That is what I teach, all of the above. Beans and bullets alone will not save anybody going forward. Outlier events will bring about some sort of major confrontations and focal pints of serious decisions. Not just words and theoretical hyperbole from the control freaks, as it all breaks down even further going forward. Our only hope is to truly be prepared for any and ll events and that starts inside each of us as individuals !

Messaging is critical. Today’s American has an attention span of 30 seconds. We must have a clear visual message that a 5th grader can understand that depicts the illegal Tyranny that federal agents are imposing on Americans.

WOW – this is why they murdered him in cold blood. There’s something about the word “Constitutional” that freaks out the freaks in our criminal enterprise government. Read about hillary stealing State land and selling it to Russia; and about harry reid’s attempt to steal the Bundy Ranch.

I cannot begin to imagine, what the horrors would be in pointing a gun at a human and shooting him dead. I would have nightmares the rest of my life, even if I were in the right, but what if I were shooting him on his own property or shooting him where he had a right to be!!

A man dead, never to speak to his family or to his friends again because of having to prove my imagined rights. I would know of His loved ones being heart broken at the insanity of the deed.

Our “can never do any wrong government” how good are they excusing themselves, especially the one that did the deed??

So how about a nationwide event where Constitutional Sheriffs in every state, backed by their Deputies and the armed citizens of their county, all rise up on the same day and standing for the Constitution on so many issues that it ties up the whole Federal Government all at once. Different states and counties, and all of them with different issues targeting different rouge agencies. If anyone can pull it off then I will just bet that Stewart and our Oath Keepers Board of Directors, editors and reporters can.

Perhaps many of you at O.K. HQ (as well as some who frequent this forum) are already aware, but for those who are not…

After being taken into custody and requesting release through her attorney, Shawna Cox was released with conditions including wearing of an ankle monitor, travel restrictions, and not being allowed to have guns in her home, among others…

I’m informed that her husband gathered those items and took them to the home of Shawna’s son-in-law & daughter, where the son-in-law then (for whatever reason) secured them in their barn.

I am sad to report that, overnight, that barn burned down, all the items were apparently destroyed, and worst of all, the son-in-law perished in the fire – a very difficult circumstance for Shawna coming so closely on the heels of witnessing the violent murder of Robert LaVoy Finicum, while barely escaping death at the same time herself.

As of this afternoon (2/8) I am told the cause/circumstances of the fire remain under investigation.

To think that a Constitutional sheriff or district is going to be able to help in a situation like this is more than naive. The Constitution is already invalid nation-wide. Citizens deemed “domestic exptremists” (that’s all of us who stand for what is right) are not entitled to ANY due process of law (Patriot Act, etc) and no honest Sheriff can do anythung other than watch his own back! What happened after Joe Arpaio did his his duty and exposed solid evidence of Obama’s identity fraud? NOTHING. And maybe because he left it at that, Joe is still walking this earth.

Taking on the feds on this means taking on the whole rotten system.

By the way, what ever happened to the Hammonds? Maybe if ranchers had taken this opportunity to expose the sale of US uranium rights in the County to the Russians, you might have achieved more, or a least had a big bargaining chip in hand. You can’t trust in Constitutional law when it doesn’t exist any more — unless you have the fire power to take it back, and you don’t. Brains and God are going to have to save the day.

“Citizens deemed “domestic exptremists” (that’s all of us who stand for what is right) are not entitled to ANY due process of law (Patriot Act, etc) and no honest Sheriff can do anythung other than watch his own back!”

First, if it isn’t in “Pursuance thereof” the US Constitution it is NOT a law/code/regulation/etc that is LAWFULLY binding on the American people. Oh, and it must be created by those that serve within the House of Representatives and the Senate themselves. Those are the ONLY positions within our general government that have been delegated the authority to create law/code/regulation/etc that are LAWFULLY binding on the American people. When that “power” was delegated to the House of Representatives and Senate it is forbidden to anyone else who serves within the legislative (yes I did say legislative), executive, and judicial branches by the word “All” Those two positions/offices are NAMED within the US Constitution, Article 1 as being able to use that power, prevents any other including regulatory agencies, etc from creating anything that is lawfully binding on anyone except those that work within our governments.

It is important to realize that the “Patriot Act”, “NDAA”, etc (many others) are NOT in “Pursuance thereof” the US Constitution so are not lawfully binding on the American people. The bad thing is those who do not bother to keep their Oath, and/or to know the US Constitution and who will “just follow orders” and/or “just do their jobs” and “enforce” them against the American people – an act of Terrorism on their part and quite possibly (most likely) Treason also. This is partly why Oathkeepers, cspoa, etc are so important.

Ginny, you are correct. God and brains. Through the brains He gave us, we will save the day.

The Republic is overflowing with our Creator’s Presence, it is Us!

Each member of the Human Race is endowed with the Creative Spark of the Divine One. Creative Intelligence, the Brains of our earthly obligation, chose to live within each of Us!

There is no shortage of God or Brains, and certainly both are set to take the world stage.

This dynamic duo has begun to shine forth well documented, irrefutable evidence of the treacherous nature of the bankrupt United States, a ‘federal corporation’, the wholly owned subsidiary corporation of The District of Columbia Municipal Corporation, referred to geographically in the Constitution for the united States of America as, a District (an area Ten miles square), called, also, The District of Columbia, a.k.a. “State”

In addition to God and Brains, we just witnessed a third portion into the mix, to wit:

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of a Lavoy Finicum, a patriot, and tyrants.” Thomas Jefferson

Before it is over, there will likely be more by the hands of the federal “State”, whose apparent love for bloodshed is well documented.

The lynch pin removing the influence of the federal corporation from among us has been discovered. As any new discovery, it will take time to ascertain all aspects of this device, but make no mistake, no time will be wasted on frolicking from here to the finish line.

The discovery fits completely into the character of the One we would Expect to lead us toward the perfect path of peace, justice and sovereignty for all of mankind, everywhere.

This peaceful, yet hard fought battle, presently early in it’s beginning stages, will take place at least initially as a ripple, destined to become a tidal wave. A couple of key strategies have been successfully implemented. Another is presently boiling on the fringe of a national/world spot light.

The subjects of our conquest will be dismantled one at a time, until such time as their means of living is dried up, laying wide open the door to the re-establishing of Common Law courts, the backbone of the law of the land throughout the 50 organic states of the Union.

The Creator is methodically assembling the necessary brains to bring remedy to reality. Most who will implement this powerful strategy also find themselves having to work for a living. This brings balance and steadfastness to the undertaking.

Please include this crucial endeavor in your good thoughts, prayers, and meditations.

One thing seems clear is if they go in and kill those people that will not end well.The feds have already lost the PR on this after the video was released .
100 to 1 is a show of excessive force and the public will never understand that.
How does it end God only knows,but if the feds were smart they pull out and keep a small group on site for these guys to turn themselves over too, being arrested is still better then dead as no one knows what tomorrow will bring. So far the feds are the only ones who been doing the shooting and that just doesn’t look good for them.The best thing would be knock the wind out of
everyone’s sail and let it die down.Again the public will never understand if they go in and gun these people down with such force.
May the Lord God above be with all that are involved and help guide them to find a peaceful way out.

Jason, can I have permission to post the phone call between Stewart and LaVoy on YouTube so that people outside our immediate circle can be made aware of OK efforts to resolve this situation? There are several OK detrators that need to hear this.

In war people die, all wars start with talking with the notion on one part that it will avoid war on the other it is time delay for war preparation. It will happen no matter the talk or false agreements. The one thing I would like to know 100% is whether mercenaries were used by a foreign power on our land that would change the entire situation.This foreign power then will be a target.

What Stewart is saying supports the positions of the
feds. You should exercise your freedom of speech and right to protest by going out in an empty field and yelling, where nobody can hear you, to your hearts content. Yeah, that’s going to work well.

Not sure what you are talking about. I am saying take a stand where you have a constitutional sheriff to back you up, and make it very difficult for the bad guys to stop you. That’s not out in the middle of an empty field. You must be reading some other article.

To go where you are not effectively heard is what the government free speech zones are all about. Where they are a now, declaring that this is county and not fed property, is getting their speech heard. And the fed attention is getting their plight the publicity it needs. Doing what you recommended would only get the attention of the alternative media for a short while. All that would be achieved would be preaching to the choir.

You can’t get heard if you are arrested, or cordoned off and shut down. Or killed. A sheriff declaring that his whole county is now a liberty county, and he will protect the people as they ignore federal edicts and claims to the land, would be an earth shattering precedent and example for others to follow, and also a protected base of operations so you can continue to meet other ranchers, from all over the west, who can come to you. How are any other ranchers going to meet with Ammon and Ryan Bundy? They won’t, because both of them are in jail. Free speech shut down.

And, when it comes to actually reclaiming the land, and being able to work it, that is NOT happening right now in Harney County, again, because they had no local protection from the sheriff and were shut down. That would happen in a county with a constitutional sheriff. Big real difference.

And LaVoy would likely still be alive AND free. And he as clearly the best spokesman (and really, the best man) of the bunch. A tragic loss.

I understand your point. I guess their can be more than one approach without saying the other guy’s is necessarily wrong. What you are recommending can still happen and hopefully will. FYI I was a Ron Paul State delegate in MN, county point man and was a factor in stopping a CFR member from being nominated to run for the Senate. It got me a visit at my house by a fed, military helicopters buzzing my house and an occasional drone. I was forming a Constitutional Liberty Confederation in the county and all the members received the same treatment. What resources the feds must have to go after small fry like us. It worked because we ended up having to lower our profiles. There is a saying; You can only be a martyr once, so make sure it counts. I hope Levoy’s counts.

And I understand your point as well, and hopefully that will be the silver lining in this, but overall, I think it was a disaster and a loss for team liberty. The regime can now say it finally evened the score of Bundy Ranch, and will also use this to justify its targeting of patriots, and its expanded use of a Civil War era, broad “conspiracy” statute. I don’t think that is worth the publicity of the issue. But we do need to try to make the best of it, and try to get people to stand up in more effective ways going forward.

Stewart, Thanks for taking the time to correspond with me here. It’s let me know that you really are a stand up guy. I also respect what you’ve been able to build up. Having tried it myself I know how difficult it is to do.

If Mr. Bundy, Sr. is travelling to Portland, then that is truly the belly of the beast for that moment – a town full of well and truly brainwashed “useless idiots”. I know – I was born in Portland and lived there for almost 40 years in all, before giving up in frustration, to seek political asylum from the “Socialist Workers’ Paradise” elsewhere.

Perhaps a few interested patriotic parties should offer a “safety committee” escort for Cliven…just to insure no roadblocks, or other ill-timed interference from those who fancy themselves to be stopping the spread of a “virus”!? At this point, I would put very little past such people, since many seem to think they are beyond the reach and grasp of accountability.

Better an ounce of prevention than tears of remorse (again) over an unavailable pound of cure.

First, I want to thank you at Oathkeepers, amd those at PPN, and the Three Percent for your thoughtful commentary and the hard work you have done/are doing behnd the scenes.

My husband and I own a small ranch in New Mexico. It is all private land but we have come to realize that private property is threatened everywhere in the United States, and we have seen hw dishonest amd vindictive federal agancies can be in order to steal land, whether it is public or private. They also steal other property on s regular basis.

Our county has a history of standing against the depredations of the feds, first when they used to excuse of the spotted owl to destroy our timber imdustry, and later, with the wolf releases. I wonder if several counties thrughout the West might not be places from which the virus of educstion and action might not br spread, and our county among them?

“understand that once we enter the two way range, there’s no going back, so choose your actions wisely.

Todd Engel”

That is without a doubt the most important statement that anyone in the liberty movement could make.

For the record and anyone can verify this information very easily too.

The BLM, EPA, and thousands of other un-Constitutional agencies have not been re-authorized by congress for many years now, (look it up). These dead rouge agencies still receive funding from the executive but they are zombie agencies with zombie agents that are sent to eat out the peoples substance.

The Declaration of Independence listed this grievance very clearly. At this time in our nations history all of the grievances save one or two are again being foisted on the people. The peaceful attempts to gain redress of these and other grievances has been going on for just about as much time now as our founders tried to address them to King George before making their declaration to him.

Their patients and adversity to go to war even held them in check from doing so after the famed Boston Massacre. It took the open misstep of General Gage attempting to confiscate weapons and powder from the armory outside of Lexington before open hostilities commenced. The treasonous factions of our Federal Government in their hubris will ultimately make the same mistake soon.

Although Lavoys’ murder at the hands of persons (whether state employees, federal employees, private security employees or foreign employees) that are yet to be identified is truly a heinous crime and an affront to everything that honorable men and women hold dear.

We as thoughtful and lawful people must hold our emotions in check, following our better angels advice to use our brains and our ingenuity to win this war of ideas through education along with the rule of law. Natural law will define to us the time to use Justifiable Defensive Warfare against the aggressors in due time and all of the world will see just who has the higher morel ground if it comes to that.

In turn we must increase our efforts at RTI to further shape the future battle space and redouble our CPT preparations in our local areas of operation for the inevitable assault which has been feverishly planned by the domestic enemies within our government.

Remembering all along that not every person within our government is compromised and collaborating with the UN-American influences that command the rouge elements in our government. We must maintain our patients, continue to form our resources and allies among ourselves and stay ever vigilant to the threat that the Bundy brothers and Lavoy were taken from when they were influenced by outside agents of dubious intent and loyalties.

Stewart and BoD, I strongly suggest for the record that it be discussed and decided upon by all concerned in not only our own organization but in others who we associate with, to implement a working national and state chapter dedicated position of Public Information Officer who would be designated as the sole public information conveyor of all Oath Keeper agendas and sanctioned missions. Whether it is a private outside entity with the know how and experience in doing this sort of thing or members who have the military or LE experience in this field, it is time to start this face saving and defensive as well as offensive tactic to ensure our organizational integrity and good name in turn protecting our membership from what our enemies in the SPLC and DHS are obviously planning.

Court is open, we have filed a Habeus Corpus for the release of the Hammonds. It’s up to the sheriffs to enforce this Habeus Corpus. OREGON – GROUND ZERO
The Following Papers are filed in the Federal District Court for the District of Oregon concerning extortion by Federal Agents upon the Hammonds and other Ranchers, Loggers and Miners; and the stand off in Oregon. This case exposes extortion by Federal Agents on a National scale.

It’s clear now the selection of the Maheur facility was not meant to be tactical . It is at the center of the uranium scandal that is at the center of the feds zealous land grab . Its now clear that it was a major success in bringing attention to the heart of the issue . Thank you Oath Keepers and patriot groups for the support . It was excellent . Nobody’s perfect . Mission success beyond expectations and progressing into the surreal . I know Lavoy is a grievous casualty and following Oath Keepers advice might have saved his life. On the other hand it catapulted the issue from a conspiracy theory to common knowledge . Tactical minds are still greatly appreciated . Thank you Oath Keepers .

One cannot “Give Back” to the Federal Government what it cannot own. How can there be any question about this? How can the Federal Government take RIGHTFULLY OWNED AND DEEDED LANDS from American citizens without reason? Crimes are being committed by the BLM and their overlords and this must be stopped.

This audio show’s the incredible tactical wisdom of the Oath Keepers leadership on two fronts:
1. Moral high ground and sound political narrative. We have the moral high-ground, and we must not let the Tyrants distort the true and accurate narrative.
2. Tactically wise as it sought to transfer the operation to private land that the feds couldn’t cordon off, and the call for secure coms is an advantage.

It’s KEY to understand that we are out gunned to the extreme. Obama has amassed enough ammo to kill every American 3000 times over, but the one weapon they can’t control are the heart’s and minds of their people. There are FED’s that know the corruption in the government. They don’t want their children to be slaves either. I believe there is a vast contingency within their rant’s that will flip soon. Obama’s power is in creating the illusion that he is all powerful. If that message is believed, he has won. It is just a patina. It was starving shoe-less hicks that crossed the Patomac an vanquished the he Hessians. The real battle is in the heart’s and minds. Win that and we will win our children s freedom!

If the goal was to save LaVoy’s life, your tactical advice might have proven effective. But this was not a matter of field tactics. This was a matter of LaVoy’s communication with his Creator and he was convicted and was true to what he believed his God wanted him to do.

He had stated since the Bundy Ranch in 2014 that Liberty was more important than his life. His family knew he was ready to die and that he might not make it back home from Oregon alive. THEY supported him.

What a shame that this post had to denigrate the sanctity of such commitment, courage and devotion.

It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback and point fingers. I’m saddened that Oathkeepers has taken this defensive position.

The fact is, had LaVoy not been true to what he knew his mission was, however it came down, the case for the Hammonds would have ended with a rally on January 2, 2016 that no one knew anything about.

Ground tactics are critical to save lives. But THIS was not about saving lives. It was about saving Liberty.

LaVoy is this movement’s hero, and the political prisoners that remain behind are shedding more light on the abominations of the FBI and federal overreach more than the collective acts of any militia group to date.

I urge you to read the great stories of the heroes of the Old and New Testaments. LaVoy’s ultimate sacrifice is epic and of the proportions of the greatest of the civilly disobedient heroes in ancient history as recorded in those books.

We invite every Oathkeeper to come out and show support at one of the Stand By Me – Fight for Finicum rallies by going to the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom Facebook page and finding the location in their state. March 5, 2016. And followed by a national day of fasting and prayer, Sunday, March 6, 2016.

Update: Go to Stand By Me For Liberty – Fight For Finicum Facebook page. Also I hope that all members of Oathkeepers will consider a generous donation to the LaVoy Finicum Legal Defense Fund on the website http://www.OneCowboysStandforFreedom.com or